Sponge window mop having a detachable handle



Nov. 16, 1954 c. .1. McGRAW SPONGE wmoow MOP HAVING A DETACHABLE HANDLEFiled July 21, 1951 IN VEN TOR.

M m C M m w 6 BY M W'% I TORNE 5 bers together.

United States P gan" SPONGE WINDOW MOP HAVING A DETACHABLE HANDLE GeorgeJ. McGraw, Newark, N. J.

Application July 21, 1951, Serial No. 237,989

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-244) This invention deals with a mop suitable forcleaning windows, as well as Venetian blinds, walls, and the like. Morespecifically, it relates to a sponge-and-holder combination employing areplaceable and reversible sponge unit.

For some time there has been need for a mop which would enable ahousewife to clean inside and outside panes of windows without excessiveexertion or exposure to the outside atmosphere. There are a number ofmops now on the market, but not one of them is able to meet theserequirements. An additional difficulty encountered in the cleaning ofwindows is the fact that upper sashes are generally stuck or verydifficult to lower, which requires the assistance of strong hands oreven carpenters.

The device of the present invention has been found to enable a housewifeto clean all of the window panes from a standing position inside thehouse, without excessive exertion. Furthermore, it enables her tosatisfactorily clean such panes even though the upper sash is stuck.Other features of the invention will be elucidated in the forthcomingdiscussion herein and in the appended drawing in which a preferredembodiment of the invention is depicted.

Broadly, the invention comprises a flat, preferably thin, sponge, on oneface of which is fastened (at its edges) a sheet of cloth or similarmaterial, having a centrally disposed slit through which the upperportion of the holder may be inserted and held in engaging relation tothe sheet. A handle is provided on the projecting end of the holder tocomplete the mop and enable manipulation of the sponge.

The invention may be understood more readily by reference to theattached drawing in which Figure 1 illustrates an isometric back view ofa preferred embodiment, while Figure 2 depicts the upper portion of theholder to which the handle is attached and which is inserted between thesponge and cloth' cover thereof.

Referring again to the drawing, numeral 1 represents a flat sponge,preferably thin and of rectangular shape, the back face 16 of which hascemented thereto a sheet 2 of fabric or other material, preferablycoated with plastic, and cemented to sponge 1 at its edges 3. Holes 4and 4 may be provided in sheet 2 on the vertical edges near the corners.These allow entry of projections 8 in the holder or frame, thus insuringlocking thereof and eliminating slippage of the frame between the clothbacking and the sponge. A centrally disposed lateral slit 5 is providedin the cloth backing for insertion therein of holder 17.

The laterally contractable holder or frame 17 comprises a wire structurewherein the two wires 6 from handle 12 are bent at right angles inopposite directions to give horizontal lengths 11, then upwardly atright angles forming vertical members 7. At the upper ends of members 7,sidewise projecting loops 8 are provided, which loops are designed toslip into openings 4 or 4' in backing 2 and thus serve as locking meansfor the frame and handle. Wire members 9 project laterally from loops 8toward each other, and terminate with ends which are spaced apartleaving gap 10. Handle 12, which comprises a wire loop, is attached tothe frame and a weld 14 may be provided to keep both Wire mem- Anotherweld 13 is also preferably provided to prevent separation of the twowire members leading into the frame or holder. Both the frame and handlemay be made from a single length of wire in a simple bending operation.

2,694,212 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 To insert the holder or frame 17 intothe sponge unit, the two wire members 7 are pressed toward each otheruntil ends 15 touch each other. Then the top portion of the holder isinserted into slit 5 and the handle is slid into the space betweenbacking 2 and sponge 1 by pushing handle 12 until projections 8 protrudethrough openings 4, which locks holder 17 in place. The mop is thenready for use.

In the cleaning of conventional windows, the device of the presentinvention allows the housewife to stand on the floor facing the windowand to clean the outside or inside of the upper sash without need forclimbing out of the window. Due to its thin, unimpeded construction, themop can be inserted between the sashes, thereby allowing the cleaning ofsashes which may be stuck. This is done by raising the bottom sash partway, for example, and inserting the mop between the sashes by reachingoutside. A long enough handle may be provided to enable reaching thehighest point without need for lifting the feet from the floor.

Dirty water in the sponge is squeezed readily by inserting the palm ofthe hand under wire members 11 and folding the sponge unit forwardlyalong the plane of slit 5 and squeezing the sponge. The sponge unit isreplaceable by a new unit by merely removing the wire holder throughslit 5. Also, the sponge unit may be reversed by turning it upside downand inserting the holder so that loops 8 fit into holes 4' instead of 4,in the manner already outlined.

It is preferred to employ a vertically tapered sponge which would allowinsertion thereof between sashes that are extra tight. A spongethickness of about /z" on top and about on the bottom has been foundsatisfactory for this purpose. A preferred sponge employed in thismanner has a width of about 4" and length of about 6", while the backingof coated fabric or plastic sheet has a width of about 3% and length ofabout 5%", the cementing to the sponge being done along a /s wide edgeprtion on the underside of the backing, excluding, of course, the edgesaround openings 4 and 4'. The holder for such sponge unit is preferablyabout 3%" wide and about 4 /2" long, while a handle of about 15" lengthis satisfactory. Upper projecting members 9 have been found very usefulin keeping the sponge fiat and facilitating full sponge surface cleaningefiiciency.

Although a cellulose sponge is preferred for the sponge element, it ispossible to use a rubber or natural sponge, as well as felt, cloth, orother absorbent material, preferably in shaped form.

For the backing, one may use woven fabric, coated fabric, plastic sheet,canvas, drill, duck, leather, Leatherette, sheet rubber, sponge sheet orsimilar heavy duty sheet material. This sheet is attached at the edgesby a cement, such as a plastic or rubber base cement, to give.

a welded joint.

The manner in which the frame is inserted conceals the metal holder andprevents scratching by metal edges, of objects cleaned. Since the spongeedges are uncovered, they allow for absorption of excess liquid withwhich they may be brought into contact and, for this reason, areparticularly advantageous in absorbing liquid remaining adjacent windowsash or frame members. The mop has been found excellent for dustingpurposes when the sponge is in the slightly moist state.

One added advantage of the backing is that it tends to prevent thesponge from disintegrating, and thus keeps it intact. The unit may beused easily for cleaning Venetian blinds by sliding the folded-oversponge, in the manner already outlined for squeezing, over each slat ofthe blind. Also, the mop can be used with conventional aqueous windowcleaning solutions as well as with chemical glass cleaners.

The device of the present invention may be used advantageously forcleaning windows covered by screens or storm sashes, without necessityof unhooking or removing said screens or storm sashes.

I claim:

1. A sponge mop combination comprising a fiat sponge, a sheet backingattached to said sponge, a lateral slit in said backing disposedcentrally with respect to said sponge, locking means on said backingcomprising at least one small opening in each side edge thereof, a fiatholder fitting through said slit and adjacent said backing and servingas a support for said sponge, locking means on said holder coacting withsaid locking means on said backing and comprising a lateral projectioncapable of fitting into one of said openings in the backing, and ahandle extending from said holder and projecting outside of said backingthrough said slit.

2. A sponge mop combination according to claim 1 in which the backingcovers the entire back of the sponge, a pair of oppositely disposedperipheral openings above the slit in said backing and a similar pairbelow the slit in said backing, each pair capable of engaging a pair ofsimilarly disposed projections in the holder.

3. A sponge mop combination according to claim 1 5 2,291,435

5 backing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10Number Name Date 1,497,079 Gullborg et al. June 10, 1924 1,520,148Shickluna Dec. 23, 1924 1,989,978 Gradinger Feb. 5, 1935 2,191,642Carvalho Feb. 27, 1940 Anderson et a1. July 28, 1942

